Head Coach Greg Robinson Press Conference Transcript (Oct. 28, 2008)
Opening Comments
“Welcome back, it's good to have you back. It's been awhile. We're here getting ready for Louisville. Our honorary captain is one who is well recognized in Donovin Darius. He will have a chance to spend time with the team this week. On top of that, we are celebrating Legends' Day where Don McPherson is going to be honored for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame (in December). Obviously, he joins a very elite group coming from Syracuse. It's a great weekend for outstanding people from our program who will be returning. On top of that, we're playing Louisville, a team we think is going to be a great challenge for us. We really look forward to the opportunity to be back home and take on a team like Louisville.”
What is (fullback) Tony Fiammetta's status?
“Tony's back and ready to go.”
What will it mean to have him back?
“Tony is a major factor in the offense. He does so many different things. We had three different people trying to do the things he basically does in different ways in our last game. So, I think it's a real plus.”
USF's coaching staff said they planned their whole game plan around Tony Fiammetta. Could you go into detail as to what that means to you?
“He's a factor, obviously as a blocker. Like you said, his number of touches are not that great, but when he has them, they are important plays. What their game plan is based on is their thing. He does a lot of different things and lines up in a lot of different places.”
Who will start at quarterback against Louisville?
Cam (Dantley).
Did you go back and revaluate the starting quarterback situation this week?
“I think I mentioned that to you after the game, Cam was far from perfect, but it's appropriate for him to be starting at this time.”
If you get into a similar situation like USF, will you make the switch at quarterback?
“Andrew (Robinson) is prepared to play. I have no reservations about Andrew going into the game. I think he's done a great job of preparing every week and also, really focusing to try and work on the things that he can improve. I also think he's been a real asset to Cam (Dantely). I think Cam would be the first to tell you that. He's ready to go if opportunity knocks.”
How is (running back) Delone (Carter)?
“On Sunday, I thought he looked very, very good. So, it sounds like all systems are go with him.”
How tough will it be to get him back in the rotation with the outstanding play of Curtis (Brinkley)?
“Time will tell. We will see how that all works out. It's good to see him back. Delone is a factor, but at the same time, Curtis has done a great job. We are going to do whatever we can to win the football game and that's really what our intent is.”
What is your definition of progress for this final month?
“We need to win games. We need to win some darn football games. We need to continue to play better. There was some real improvement beginning to show. I surely didn't like the second half of the South Florida game, but we've had a bye and we have the opportunity to have made some more growth. That's the intent. We need to win just to win. I think this team understands and knows and that's our goal.”
At this point, you don't really worry about having to have all wins, do you?
“All I really can do is think about this game. Louisville is an excellent football team and our team is really looking forward to the challenge of taking them on. They just knocked off the 16th-ranked team in the country and they're coming into our place, so it's a great opportunity for us. I think that it's really the only way you can look at it.”
Can you talk about the defense and its specific problems?
“First of all, we've played great offenses. If you go back and look at it, Northwestern has done a very good job thus far and they scored 21 points against our defense. Akron has been a productive offense when you go and look at their statistics. Penn State is Penn State. I can go on and on. We have played Pitt, West Virginia and South Florida, which have all been productive offenses. I also said that in the first day of training camp this would eventually be a good defense. They have flashed and shown signs recently of being a much improved defense. We've gone through some real struggles the first few weeks of the season just getting situated with the right people and getting ourselves in place. This defense will continue to get better. I wish that the second half of South Florida would've started better. This group is improving and I think that they'll continue to improve. They've grown more and more comfortable and have a much better understanding of how to play together and that's what defense is about.”
Can you explain why the offense has been less productive in the second half of play?
“There was productivity in the second half of play against Pitt and at West Virginia. It wasn't points, though, or it wasn't touchdowns. That's the thing that needs to be addressed and continues to be addressed is that we have to get the explosive plays. Really, the second half of South Florida was really our first half of bad football probably of the year. We are working very hard to correct that and I think you'll see an improved offense in regard to that.”
Any specifics as to how you might address that?
“I don't really want to go into great detail about what we're going to try and do, but I think we just have to work harder to get more explosive plays. That's our goal. There will be a consistency if we can get some explosives and I'm not saying that everything has to be a 50-yard play, but we have to get those 20-yard plays.”
Are you reluctant to throw down field?
“Not necessarily. There have been times when we have done well throwing the controlled passing game, but you still need to possess the ability to stretch the field and do the things you can to create explosive plays.”
That was one of the keys to the victory against Louisville. Can you get back to that?
“Time will tell. Some of that, too, was exploiting situations. Sometimes it's not always that easy. It was easy the first play of the game to set something up and it was there. I don't know if it's that vulnerable at this time.”
How different is this Louisville team this year than the one you defeated last year?
“This is a good team. This is a very good football team. Offensively, they have weapons and a good offensive line. They have a center who I think is an outstanding player and the left tackle is an outstanding football player. They have productivity at the wide receiver position and the quarterback, (Hunter) Cantwell is a strong-armed quarterback who has been in the system for quite some time. Their running back situation is very good. On the defensive side of the ball, it all starts with the defensive line. They are a very physical group and the linebackers and secondary feed off of that. I see a very good football team and I think it's kind of proven out. Compared to last year, I think that they're a different team.”
Defensively, is it something (new coordinator) Ron English has done?
“I think that he has helped, schematically, yes. They seem to be tied and I think he's getting good mileage. Like I said, it starts with Louisville's front four.”
Can you talk about the parity in the BIG EAST this season?
“I don't know if it was a total surprise, really. Some people had lost some key people and I think it’s a closer conference. I thought that going in that it was going to be that way. I thought that there might have been one team better than most, but that hasn't proven out to be. It's college football. It can happen anytime, where parity can kind of just show its face.”
Are teams doing stuff differently to Arthur Jones this season after he was so disruptive last season or is he struggling a bit?
“I think he's been productive. It might not always show up in statistics, but I think Arthur (Jones) has played really well. I think he's been recognized by other teams as being a player who is a disruptive player. Sometimes numbers don't always prove it out. Again, we've played against very good people and I think he's held his own against everybody. From the start to the end, if we went and talked with any of them, I think they'd tell you he's a really good football player.”
What do you think of the match-up between Arthur (Jones) and (Eric) Wood?
“I think it's a great match-up and as you guys know they were down at the (BIG EAST Media Day) clambake together. They rode the bus together and they talked. They've gone against each other before.I think it's a really good match-up and one that both will be looking forward to stepping into and getting after it.”
What has been your last contact with (wide receiver) Mike Williams and where do you stand with him?
“Mike (Williams) was here on campus last weekend, just here visiting. He's working hard in school and doing everything he can to return in January. He keeps in contact with his college here on campus and he has to keep them updated on what he's doing. From every indication, he's getting that all done, so, it sounds to me like Mike is doing everything he needs to do try and return.”
You stated at the beginning of the season that it was your team's goal to get to a bowl game. Is that something in the back of your players' mind that they have the run the table to have a shot at that?
“They know where we stand, but I think right now, the team's mind is on Louisville. You can't get anywhere until you get through Louisville.”
Is it a distraction to read all of the media outlets about what's been written about you?
“I can only worry about the things that I can control. I believe that. It's not a distraction to me. It really is not and I work hard to make sure it's not a distraction to our football team. People are allowed to write and put out whatever they want. I have no say over that. All I can do is prepare our football team every week to play the best they can possibly play and the hardest they can possibly play. That's really where I can control that. I have control over my destiny in the sense that I have a football team that I coach. If I can get them to perform well, things go well for me and that's really all I can look at.”
